In Thunder Bay, my public health colleagues have warned customers of two colonic cleansing locations to get tested for hepatitis B and C – infections that can be transmitted when instruments are not disinfected properly. But this warning, and the media investigations into this practice of instilling large quantities of fluids into the bowel for the purposed of “detoxification” should not go unnoticed here in the southern part of the province. Despite celebrity endorsements, despite false and unproven claims that flushing out the bowels have any health benefits whatsoever, there are at least two of these operations currently selling these very same services to people in the Peterborough area.
Colonics are promoted as a way to rid the body of waste or toxins. The human body already has this down pat – our kidneys filter our blood constantly to remove unwanted metabolites. Our gastrointestinal tract and the microbiome that is hosted there do the same with the food that we eat. Rather than ancient beliefs about fasting and purging as tools to help us fight disease, it is time to embrace the knowledge that these practices are harmful and have no place in our routines, unless medically prescribed as part of a diagnostic or surgical procedure.
Rather than improving health, as purported by some, colonic irrigation poses real risks of infection, perforation of the bowel, disturbing the body’s microbiologic balance, and disrupting the electrolytes that govern our internal biochemistry. Don’t be fooled – until we have better government regulation to protect consumers from the harms of false claims like these, it is buyer beware. There have been published scientific reviews of the evidence that are accessible for you to read instead. My advice: keep your coffee in your morning cup where it belongs, regardless of what celebrities may say.
By Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health, Peterborough Public Health
